


Rules

by Wishful86



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Family Feels, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24062929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishful86/pseuds/Wishful86
Summary: “Don’t you think this is a little overboard?” Seven asked Rios, “It’s a bar, not a battle ground.”“In my experience, they often end up the same thing,” Rios answered.Small something. Hope you enjoy.
Relationships: Raffi Musiker/Seven of Nine
Comments: 10
Kudos: 59





	Rules

“What am I going to wear?” Soji mused, sliding in at the table with a coffee.

Raffi smiled, “You’re fine as you are. We’re not dressing up, are we babe?”

“Oh hell no,” Seven agreed, “To much effort considering I don’t plan on remembering much of the evening.”

“Here, here,” Raffi raised her cup and Seven clinked hers against it. 

Soji laughed, but she wasn’t deterred, ”It’s a rare night out. We're going off ship. I’m dressing up.”

“You could wear the blue outfit,” Elnor chipped in, brightly, “You look nice in that.”

“Thanks,” Soji blushed, hiding a smile behind her cup. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with, JL?” Raffi turned to ask Picard, who was sat at the next table with his head in a book. 

Picard didn’t look up, “I am fine here,” he flicked a page, “Thank you for asking.”

“Do you think we could convince Rios to get off ship?” Seven asked, bumping shoulders with Raffi.

“Doubt it,” her girlfriend frowned, taking a lazy sip of her drink, “He’ll probably want to join the readers table.”

This time Picard looked up defensively, “For the last time, we have not started a book club.”

“JL,” Raffi levelled with him, “Did you, or did you not, arrange to meet with Rios, at a set time, to discuss a book that you both chose to read?”

“We did, but-"

“Book club,” Raffi, Seven and Soji called together. Picard rolled his eyes, then returned to his reading; there was no point in arguing. 

“Can I join the book club?” Elnor asked eagerly. 

Before anyone could respond to that, Rios appeared up on the landing. “There better be a coffee down there for me,” he shouted down.

“There is if you replicate it,” Raffi sing-songed back up to him. 

Rios snorted and made his way down the stairs, only to be presented with a cup from Elnor.

“You’re too nice, kid,” Rios told him, nudging his shoulder when the young Romulan frowned, “but thanks.”

“Hey Cris,” Raffi lent forward as her friend took the seat opposite, “you don’t have a problem with us going to a bar tonight, right?”

“Who is 'us'?” the captain narrowed his eyes.

Raffi pointed to Seven -obvious- and then casually swept her hand across to Soji and Elnor. 

Rios blinked, “You, and the kids? At a bar?”

“Oh come on,” Soji protested, “we’re not kids. We can defend ourselves.”

“Yes,” Elnor agreed, “we are quite capable.”

“Too right,” Seven stated, “everyone here can take care of themselves.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Rios fired back.

She raised her eyebrows questioningly, “What would you prefer?”

“First off,” Rios explained, “You are talking like there might be trouble, which knowing you, there will be. And second, you all have a tendency to use a sledgehammer when a regular hammer will do.”

“What are you going on about?” Raffi asked on behalf of everyone bar Picard, who was now watching intently. 

“You go overboard,” Rios made it sound like something they should already know, “I get there are assholes out there, but you don’t always have to pull out swords. Or guns. You don’t have to dislocate bones- I mean, it's a damn good job Emmet is a holo-"

“He started that,” Soji protested.

“-and you don’t have threaten to delete a guy's entire existence.”

“That was once and I didn’t go through with it,” Raffi exclaimed.

Seven shrugged, “He’ll have deserved it.”

“He’d accidentally taken a sip of her drink,” Rios sighed, shaking his head, “Look, I am all for you going out. Hell, get as drunk as you want, just know that you'll be answering to the Hospitality hologram, but I am setting some rules.”

“Rules?” Soji wrinkled her nose.

Raffi scoffed, folding her arms, “You have never had rules before."

“Rule one,” Rios ignored her.

Seven lent forward, “You’re serious?”

“Rule one,” the captain continued undeterred, “no-one leaves without a fully functioning comm badge. Ian will check them.”

“He is serious,” Elnor told Seven, who couldn’t help but smirk.

“Rule two; comm badges must be answered within 5 seconds or I will assume something is wrong. If something is not wrong and you were not listening, then I will get the EMH to run a rather unpleasant and lengthy test of your hearing.” 

“Oh God,” Raffi groaned, “Not Emil reading his medical journal."

“Don’t you think this is a little overboard?” Seven asked Rios, “It’s a bar, not a battle ground."

“In my experience, they often end up the same thing,” Rios answered.

“That’s fair,” Seven acknowledged, sitting back with reminiscent smile, “mine too."

“Are there anymore rules?” Soji cut in with impatience, “I want to have fun, ok?” Rios glared at her and she raised her hands, “But fine. I'll answer the comm, I'll take a breath before kicking anyone's ass-“

“I don’t have to take my sword,” Elnor interrupted.

Soji raised an eyebrow, “You were planning on taking it?” 

“I will probably take a knife,” the Romulan was as honest as ever.

“Ok. You are not helping,” Soji threw her hands up.

“What weapon am I permitted to take?” 

“No weapon,” Soji said flatly.

“But I have to take a weapon”

“No, you don’t."

“Captain, I-"

“Don’t ask him you idiot. Were you not listening?”

“Captain Ri-"

It took less than a second for Soji to nudge Elnor off the table and for Elnor to have a blade pointed at her throat. 

As the others reacted, Rios took a swig of coffee, “Someone say it."

“Piss off,” Raffi told him as Seven asked, “Say what?"

“Those three beautiful words.”

Raffi rolled her eyes, she was now stood in-between the youngest crew members, “ok, you can stand down.”

They parted quickly seeming to realise what they had done. They settled back at the table in silence, not even protesting when Seven swatted the backs of their heads.

Rios continued as if nothing had happened, “Rule three: No weapons. You could get caught for carrying. They are strict here.”

“I’ll take that risk,” Seven muttered so only she could hear, but she caught Rios's eye and knew that he didn’t mean her. She was the exception. In case things went really wrong. She nodded in recognition.

Raffi ran a hand across her face, “When did going to a bar get so damned involved?”

“Last rule,” Rios started, standing up, “you run into any trouble, you call me. Don’t try and deal with anything alone. Remember you have back up, even if it is just to tell you to calm it down. La Sirena looks out for it's own. Always.” 

With that, he finished the contents of his cup, put it down and walked away. Surprised faces left in his wake. 

“That was quite something,” Seven pointed in the direction Rios had left.

Raffi nodded, feeling a sense of pride for her best friend, “He’s not bad at being all Captain-y, is he?”

“The man knows his crew,” Picard rejoined the conversation, deep voice and commanding as usual, “He knows them well. That should definitely be commended.” 

Looks were shared across the table.

“I'm sorry, Elnor,” Soji spoke up after a moment.

The Romulan regarded her thoughtfully, “I am sorry too.” 

Raffi glanced between them and smiled, “Let’s try and keep it civil tonight, ok? Follow the rules.”

“I’m usually for breaking rules,” Seven admitted, “But La Sirena looks out for it’s own.” She held up her cup. 

“I’m in,” Soji rose her cup as did Raffi.

Elnor looked sheepish. Seven tilted her head, “what’s up, Elnor?”

“Erm,” the Romulan faltered slightly, “Can I stay behind for the book club?”

Everyone round the table looked close to laughter and Picard was about to-

“Of course, you can, kid,” Rios voice carried down from above. 

...


End file.
